D.A.S. D.A. - Features Vol. 4

D.A.S. D.A. - Features Vol. 4
D.A.S. D.A. made a raucous debut on Selected Cuts, the Repitch compilation released last summer. Of its 13 tracks, 12 had been released before, with D.A.S. D.A.'s venomous "Untitled" being the sole new work. In my review, I likened the comp to a reunion, as it came at a time when the label's three chiefs—Italian producers D.Carbone, Ascion and Shapednoise—seemed distracted by other projects. I had feared it meant the end of one of my favourite techno outlets, but then Features Vol. 4 appeared. There's still a sense of finality in the air, though, with this EP calling time on the series, at least. Still, it's one hell of an exit.

D.A.S. D.A. is the acronym of D.Carbone, Ascion and Shapednoise, along with AnD's Dimitri Poumplidis and Andrew Bowen. They've all got a Features record to their name: D.Carbone and Ascion had the inaugural release as Repitch, and Shapednoise and AnD had their own. Now, all five unite to put the series to bed, albeit in an uncharacteristically droning, ambient fashion. Much of Vol. 4 sounds closer to the industrial squalls Shapednoise is known for, not to mention the abstract techno D.Carbone and Ascion have released on 3TH Records.

Starting the EP, "Corrupted Data 1" creeps into existence. It's pummeling in an erratic, non-conformist way, which gives over to the machine noise gathering ominously overhead. "Corrupted Data 2," the hardest hitting effort here, could be an AnD track, but the inter-dimensional planes within that din could've only come from the other three conspirators. This one is as about as dance floor-oriented as Vol. 4 gets, and that's being optimistic—only the brave would drop this into a set.

The remaining three have another audience in mind, one that prefers doomy metallic landscapes and organic rhythms, bruised beats and visceral textures. It's music that simultaneously caresses and maims as it assaults the senses, for this is a decidedly physical audio experience. An intuitive collaboration from five individuals all working towards the same goal, Vol. 4 might just be the record that D.Carbone, Ascion, Shapednoise and AnD have always wanted to make. It may be the end of a series, but let's hope this isn't the last of D.A.S. D.A.